Village to Hold Community Electrical Aggregation Meetings

Electrical aggregation means many customers joining together to form a group to buy electrical service for residential and small business customers.

Like communities throughout Illinois, the Village of Orland Park has placed a referendum on the March 20th Presidential Primary Ballot asking if the village should pursue buying electricity in bulk for residential and small business customers. Consumers would continue to receive bills and service calls from ComEd with the actual purchase of electricity from a separate vendor listed on the bill. Those who don't want to participate will be able to opt out.

"This is similar to buying in bulk at the store," explained Orland Park Mayor Dan McLaughlin. "The village buying electricity collectively could potentially mean an annual savings of 15 to 20 percent on the energy portion of an electric bill," the mayor said, adding, "This would be a nice savings for our residents."

To help voters understand electrical aggregation, the village will host two informational community meetings. Representatives from the Northern Illinois Municipal Electric Collaborative (NIMEC) will present information and be available for questions on Tuesday, March 6 at 6 p.m. and Tuesday, March 13 at 7 p.m. at the Orland Park Civic Center, 14750 South Ravinia Avenue.

Worded by the State of Illinois, the referendum asks, "Shall the Village of Orland Park have to authority to arrange for the supply of electricity for its residential and small commercial retail customers who have not opted out of such program?" The referendum enables the village to negotiate and research electrical service providers.

"Those who want to be a part of the village buying electricity as a large group could potentially save $150 to $200 a year for an average electric bill," McLaughlin said. "For a typical family, that could pay for a week of groceries or other expenses," he noted.

Information about electrical aggregation is available on the village's website at www.orland-park.il.us or by calling the village's Office of Public Information at 708/403-6150.